TECH TALK: Lomo’Instant hit for creative photo fun

Marisa Cashill

Instant photos are what we get on our mobile these days but it used to mean pressing a button on a clunky old Polaroid and watching in amazement has a blank photo shot out then magically turned into a colour print.

Now the fun is back, thanks to the Lomo’Instant.

It takes credit card sized Fujifilm Instax Mini film, so you can keep the prints in your wallet, But unlike instant cameras of the past, you can get very creative, as Marisa Cashill, our Tech Talk photo expert, has been finding out.

I am a very lucky girl to have been given he Lomo’Instant for my birthday. I have been curious about this range of instant cameras for a while as they consider themselves to be a fun camera with advanced settings to please photographers who want a bit more control over their images.

They are plastic, have a retro look and you get retro results, like desaturated tones, light leaks and vignetting.

But you can add accessories. My kit included three creative lenses, a portrait, close-up and fisheye, along with some gels to slide over the built-in flash for creative lighting.

There’s flash on/flash off, exposure compensations and bulb mode for long exposures, so shooting in low light can be achieved. I found best results on a sunny day with a rich blue sky.

Multiple exposures can be shot on a single frame, which I had great fun with. There are threads for a cable release and tripod, for more creative shots. I’m pleased with the endless possibilities. It challenges my photographic skills. Buy it.